Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna Memory Tree Productions

Today’s episode is smokin’ — literally! That’s because we’re talking about the original Finnish sauna: the smoke sauna, or “savusauna” as it’s known in Finland.

While the modern saunas we’re familiar with today have only been around for the last 100 years, smoke saunas date back to the 9th century — over 1,000 years ago.

So what exactly is a smoke sauna and where can you find one? To answer these questions and more, we’re joined by Saija Silen, a smoke sauna historian and chair of the Finnish Sauna Culture Association.

Saija tells us about the origin of smoke saunas, how they work and the incredibly multi-faceted role they’ve played in Finnish life — and in Finnish spiritual beliefs — for centuries.

She also talks about her important work preserving the 24 historical smoke saunas at Sauna Village in Jämsä, where visitors can enjoy an authentic smoke sauna experience for themselves.

We promise we’re not just blowing smoke — it’s a fascinating episode and you don’t want to miss it!

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Mentioned in this episode:

Sauna Village in Jämsä, Finland

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at alan@kivia.ca.

A sweat-bathing renaissance is underway in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with saunas popping up from Dublin and Belfast to Cork and the Causeway Coast.

How did all this happen? During Alan’s Irish sauna travels last year, one name kept coming up: Shirley Fitzpatrick.

As the owner of Bosca Beatha — the first mobile sauna in Ireland back in 2012 — Shirley has been at the forefront of the Irish sauna movement for over a decade, touring the countryside and bringing her passion for sauna directly to the people.

In this episode, we speak with Shirley about how Bosca Beatha came to be, the growing popularity of sauna on the Emerald Isle, and the unique vantage point sauna gives us to connect with nature and each other.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Bosca Beatha

Lithuanian Plants & Sauna Camp (June 3-7, 2024)

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at alan@kivia.ca.

Can you imagine being naked in a sauna with strangers? Or maybe you can’t imagine it any other way?

Nudity in the sauna is a polarizing topic. For some, the idea of going “au naturel” is unthinkable, while for others, “textile-free” is the only way to go.

Why the divide? To get to the, ahem, bottom of the issue, we’re speaking with Dr. Ruth Barcan, a professor in the Gender and Cultural Studies department at the University of Sydney, and the author of Nudity: A Cultural Anatomy.

In this episode, Dr. Barcan shares:
Where some of our hang-ups with nudity come fromWhy so many people today equate nudity with sexualityHer advice for people who want to try going nude in the sauna for the first timeWhy, when it comes to nudity in the sauna, one approach doesn’t fit all
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Mentioned in this episode:

Book: Nudity: A Cultural Anatomy (Bloomsbury)
Article: "The Naked Truth on Nudity" (The Conversation)

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends!

And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already, so you never miss an episode.

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at alan@kivia.ca.

It’s taken the European sauna world by storm, and it’s starting to make waves in North America, too.

Aufguss is the art of using rhythmic towel movements to circulate heat, air and essential oils in the sauna, creating a thermal experience like no other.

While aufguss can be calm and meditative, it can have a huge performance aspect as well — with music, lights, costumes, singing, choreography and even smoke machines used for theatrical effect.

To find out more, we’re speaking with Jade Coulombe, a Canadian “aufgussier” and past winner of the “Battle of the Gladiators” at the World Aufguss Cup Freestyle Championships.

In this episode, Jade shares how she first got involved with aufguss, her aufguss experiences in saunas and competitions across Europe, and her future plans to make aufguss more accessible in Canada and beyond.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Jade Coulombe
Aufguss World Cup Freestyle
Rob Keijzer

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends! And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already, so you never miss an episode.

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at alan@kivia.ca.

Christopher and Julie Rice were at a low point in their relationship. After 10 years of marriage and four kids, the Minnesota couple had lost their spark, and were increasingly growing apart.

Then they discovered sauna — and everything changed.

In this episode, we’re speaking to Christopher and Julie about how their shared love of sauna helped reignite their love for each other — and how they went from complete sauna newbies to sauna evangelists, sharing their passion for sweat on Chris’s blog, SaunaDigest.com, and Facebook group, Wood-Burning Sauna, which has attracted over 6,500 members to date.

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Mentioned in this episode:

SaunaDigest.com
Wood-Burning Sauna (Facebook group)

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Did you enjoy this episode? If so, we’d love it if you could leave us a rating/review, and share it with your sauna-loving friends! And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already, so you never miss an episode.

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at alan@kivia.ca.

We’re BACK! The Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna podcast returns for Season 3 — with hosts Alan Jalasjaa and Elissa Lansdell bringing you 12 new episodes packed with sauna hot topics, expert guests and so much more.

Where in the world have we been, you ask?

Well, Alan has been travelling the globe, checking off his sauna bucket list, and on today’s episode, he’s spilling the tea on all his adventures — from Finland and Ireland to Germany, Western Canada and more. 

Discover:
Why the World Sauna Forum in Finland is “the world’s most relaxing business event”Whether a Finnish movie star’s sauna and restaurant complex on the Baltic Sea lived up to the hype (spoiler alert: IT DID)How Ireland is fast-becoming one of Europe’s sauna capitals — think seaside mobile saunas and whiskey barrel cold plungesThe art of “aufguss” — using rhythmic towel movements to circulate heat, air and essential oils in the saunaAlan’s “textile-free” sauna experiences in Germany with our Berlin-based sound engineer, Mike Shannon Why the Lost Faucet Sauna on Vancouver Island is definitely worth finding Why you shouldn’t invite Alan to your sauna unless you mean it — because he WILL show up…and so much more!
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Mentioned in this episode:
Carita Harju
Sauna from Finland
World Sauna Forum
Jake & Max Newport, aka The Sauna Twins
Finnmark Sauna
Jasper Pääkkönen
Löyly in Helsinki
HotBox Sea Sauna in Northern Ireland
Mike Shannon
Vabali Spa in Berlin
The Lost Faucet Sauna House on Vancouver Island
Kamu Sauna in British Columbia

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Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share with your sauna friends if you liked this episode!

Want to stay on top of all things Kivia: The Spirit of Sauna? Sign up for our newsletter at kivia.ca. (Don’t worry, we only send occasional emails and will never spam you.)

Have a question, comment or an idea for a future episode? Email us at alan@kivia.ca.